Ideation, innovation, and improvement

Often so called innovations are not true innovations in the sense of novel ideas or methods but rather improvement to or incremental change to existing technology or reinterpretation of existing forms or different ways of using material. But weather innovation or improvement, ideation plays its role informed, inspired or guided by precedent, memory and reflection. Moreover, when change takes place, simile and metaphor used in the ideation process may help making the unfamiliar familiar.